Authorities say looters broke into dozens of Beaufort County homes after residents evacuated the area to flee from Hurricane Matthew.

Citing incident reports, The Island Packet of Hilton Head (http://bit.ly/2ekzy1d ) reports that 47 burglary cases were reported to the Sheriff’s Office from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11. Eleven of those break-ins were reported on Hilton Head Island, while nine occurred on St. Helena Island.

Bluffton and Beaufort police also received multiple reports of burglaries.

Items reported missing include guns, televisions, jewelry, cash and outdoor furniture. One woman said looters took sausage from her refrigerator but made the bed.

Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Cpt. Bob Bromage says the small chance of getting burglarized should not be a reason for homeowners to risk their lives by ignoring evacuation orders.